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Chapter 76 (YEAR 2052)
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Games of Invictus Chapter 77 (YEAR 2052)
Report: Park The airspace above Mount Yamantau. Russia. The interior of a command capsule. Five minutes before the arrival of Korean forces at Yamantau. My capsule soared through the air, punching through clouds heavy with snow on its way up to Dropship 13. The heavy rattle of its nuclear-powered engine was only scarcely audible above the howling wind. I had to force myself to breathe normally, gripping the armrests of my seat and fighting back the panic that surged in the base of my gut. Being hunted inside your mech was bad, but at least you had mobility. Inside my command capsule, there was nothing I could do. If Axion's weapon hit its mark I was almost certainly a dead man. A strange interference filled my comms headset, drowning out the voices of pilots in battle. I watched my altimeter climb in silence. There was almost no warning. I heard the sudden shriek of an alarm and an instant later the roar of the capsule's engines became unbearable. A flash of light stunned m
Games of Invictus Chapter 78 (YEAR 2052)
A brief time later I realized how cold I was. It was the first thought I had as I awoke lying face down in a snowbank. I'd fallen at least eighty meters after my parachute was torn. It splayed out behind me, half-buried in the snow. I was fortunate I had not fallen on any buried rocks. Everything felt numb. Fatigue licked at the edges of my vision, weighing down my eyelids and slowing my thoughts. The sound of a distant explosion snapped me back to reality. I had to move now or I never would again. I tried to stand but was held back by the weight of my snow-covered parachute. I shrugged off the harness with a grunt and wandered away, wincing as the snow curled around the upper lips of my boots. Mech jumpsuits were good for heat protection but offered little in the way of help against the biting Yamantau wind. I turned to view the wreckage of my capsule and my stomach turned. I was glad I hadn't been inside the pod when it hit. The bottom engine of the pod was nowhere to be found,
Games of Invictus Chapter 79 (YEAR 2052)
Report: Fisk The Ural Mountains. Russia. Mount Yamantau satellite tower #14. The wind stung my face as I stared down through the hole in the tower wall, the cold only slightly numbing the throbbing pain in my shoulder. I watched the United Korean Military as they levelled Frostpoint. With the bulk of my forces bunched around the now-empty ramps, the squad of Xiezhi had struck far more efficiently than the insurgents they fought to defend. Already plumes of fire sprung from the top of Frostpoint's mighty platform-several Xiezhi had ascended the structure in record time, dashing through my disorganized opposition at lightning speed. The destruction the silver mechs wrought was costly, but there was no victory for them to achieve here. They were only here to buy time-in moments they would eliminate the mechs that surrounded them and flee before reinforcements arrived. With no enemies nearby to attack their dropships, not a single Xiezhi would be left behind. An ominous groaning no
Games of Invictus Chapter 80 (YEAR 2052)
Report: Quinn Just off the coast of Nova Scotia. Canada. Alliance home base. Designation: "The Firmament" We'd returned to the Firmament in near-complete silence, unable to talk about what had happened. The final tally, as I'd last heard, was fifteen pilots shot down in cold blood. Fifteen men and women who had just wanted the war to end. That meant around seventy-five mechs didn't have pilots. We'd also abandoned seventeen mechs during our retreat, meaning Axion would soon be able to reproduce our Barricades and Predators. To add insult to injury, I still wasn't sure what Project Terminus was. Killswitch had been a powerful weapon and I was sure we hadn't seen the last of it, but something told me that Terminus was something entirely different. The debrief had been short, with Commander Telbus doing most of the talking. Martin had commended the surviving pilots, myself included, for undaunting courage in the face of death. There was talk of medals. Nobody wanted them. Nobody
Games of Invictus Chapter 81 (YEAR 2052)
The room was dead silent for a moment. "That is utterly insane," Lucas breathed. "We're standing inside an invisible tower and we pilot walking tanks as a profession," Dan replied. "Our lives are insane, Lucas. This is just normal by now." "How the hell did Centrepoint get ahold of this?" Alyx demanded. Although her gaze was sharp, I knew her well enough now to recognize an uncharacteristic tinge of panic in her voice. "I'm afraid I don't know," Mallet replied. "Centrepoint has been anonymously helping the Alliance since the beginning-in fact, they were the one to help Laura and I contact the other founders." She tented her fingers thoughtfully. "We suspect that Centrepoint is an Axion mole, but have no way to know for sure." "You've trusted an anonymous source for years?" Dan exclaimed. His disbelief seemed to override his normal respectful demeanour. "There are so many problems with that!" "I'm aware, Doctor Stonewood," Mallet snapped. Dan seemed to shrink a few centimetres. "T
Games of Invictus Chapter 82 (YEAR 2052)
Report: Fisk The Nevada Desert. Arizona. Axion manufacturing base. Designation: "The Forge" "A large celestial object on an irregular course." The screen switched to static for a moment as it leapt signals to a new station. "The object is estimated to be over one-hundred times the mass of the International Space Station. Our satellites can't get a good look at it yet, but it is widely agreed that the object is not a natural phenomenon." More static. Another channel. "NORAD picked up the object when it broke low orbit around the moon at 3:23 AM, eastern time. While nations the world over are denying knowledge of this strange object, some theorize that its construction is yet another attack by warmongering insurgents." More static. More panic. I smiled. As of yet, nobody knew where the ship was coming from, or where it was headed. I turned my gaze to Andros Oakley, who stood attentive beside me. "Reactors one through five are nominal," he informed me. "Killswitch arrays are re
Games of Invictus Chapter 83 (YEAR 2052)
Report: Quinn The Annamite Mountain Range. Vietnam. I could feel the rumble of the dropship's engines as I pressed my face against the triple-layered glass, gazing down at the lush rainforest below. The glistening trees whipped by in a shimmering blur of green as we roared through the air. We flew above the jungles of Vietnam. A hand swatted the back of my head, knocking my nose off the glass. I whipped around, glaring at Lucas, who stood, innocently fumbling with the ship's controls. Behind me, Dan shook his head and sighed incredulously. Both Stonewood brothers were nervous about the mission to come, but each displayed it differently. Dan paced the small cabin, checking and rechecking latitude and longitude calculations on a small handheld tablet. Lucas had placed the dropship on autopilot and was running some systems checks to keep himself occupied. His practical jokes were an attempt to diffuse the tension, a trick he'd picked up from Taewi. Lucas missed Taewi more than any
Games of Invictus Chapter 84 (YEAR 2052)
The Third World War had been short and brutal. The war lasted three days and involved no armies. Millions of people died. I had only been two years old, far too young to understand the atrocity of war. I had no memory of the day, so my knowledge of the events prior was based only on historical records. An argument during a meeting of the United Nations led to months of cold war. One ill-timed rant from a prominent leader escalated the conflict. Endless demonstrations, shows of power and threats followed before a nuclear drill was mistaken for the real thing. August fifteenth, 2030. One nation launched a missile, another responded, and soon the world had to wake up and face a possibility that hadn't ever existed outside of science fiction movies. M.A.D. Mutually Assured Destruction. The official death toll of those three days of nuclear warfare is only estimated. At its end, after much of the world had been ravaged by missiles, the world's governments found a common ground strong
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Games of Invictus Special Chapter (YEAR 2042)
Report: FiskA few hundred meters beneath Rome.Italy.Centro di produzione TMC, divisione di Roma.(TMC production center, Roman division.)"Can't be too careful," Carl smiled.My heart skipped a beat. Did he know?I'd seen Jackson duck behind the Punisher-T from when I'd entered. I assumed Karen was behind it, too. I had to keep Carl away from my allies long enough for them to escape.It dawned on my how ironic this was. A few weeks ago I would've been furious to learn how unobservant and arrogent Carl was. Now? I was happy. His ego would be our saving grace. I just had to keep him talking."So when do I hear about this Exodus," I said, sweeping my arm around Carl and leading him away from the computer. "I'd like to hear all about it."Carl looked enthused, a beaming grin spreading across his face, and he turned towards me. I followed his lead as we marched a few dozen feet away towards a large tarp, and stopped."Well," he said, "everyone loves rapid-fire rocket weapons. You have y
Games of Invictus Special Chapter (YEAR 2042)
The hallway smelled of oil and cleaner, burning my nose as I marched, boots squeaking against the steel floor. The hallway was cold and dimly lit, with only a few eerie orange lights for decoration. Beyond this hall was the factory floor and our goal.Karen and I moved quickly, and I couldn't shake the feeling we were being pursued. I knew almost nothing about the layout of the underground factory, we were unarmed, and we had no disguise of any kind. I was just grateful that the guards were busy dealing with the riots on the surface. If I listened closely I could still hear the dull roar of the crowds, even through the massive steel doors.Those doors hadn't been a problem- only those guarding them. We'd selected an entrance on the opposite side of the city, as far away from the riots as possible. Surveillance was lax there, with only two guards. The TMC soldiers I'd seen looked identical to the men and women Draco had been with at Yamantau- black body armor and powerful rifles.Fortu
Games of Invictus Special Chapter (YEAR 2042)
Report: QuinnThe bustling city of Rome.Italy.The Via Claudia.Temperature: 25° Celsius (77°F)Rome. City of marble and ruins. Rome's ancient history, once the life of so many a historian, was that of dominance, failure and reinvention. Just like the city of old, the Roman capital had fallen to civil war shortly before the Third World War. Rebellion ravaged Italy's capital, with it's citizens taking a stand against their complacent government. Although Italy's political superiors refused to partake in the World War, they knew they would not be safe for long.When the warheads were launched, many cities were targeted, Rome included. But despite the accusations of its citizens, the Italian government had been preparing. In a joint effort with China, two massive energy shields were deployed over Shenzhen and Rome, sparing them from the nuclear fire that consumed so much of the rest of the world.The OMEGA Horizon Shield, known by the locals as the 'scudo orizzonte', saved their lives.
Games of Invictus Special Chapter (YEAR 2042)
Report: QuinnThe bustling city of Rome.Italy.Outside the Colosseum.Temperature: 27° Celsius (81°F)Something behind me shattered, spraying my back, legs and neck with bits of rubble as I ran. The hot sun beat against my face as my pursuers grew closer.I didn't know if it was a person or the robot who fired, but seconds later something warm and bright zipped past my head and struck a decorative statue in front of my, shattering an outstretched arm. The plaster sprayed my face as I ran, and a moment later my head was warm. I stepped around a group of fleeing pedestrians and glanced back, seeing the ball cap laying in the center of the street, hooked around the statue's stony fingers.Oh, well. The hat didn't matter.After all, the contents of the tablet in my pocket were much more important.I tapped my right ear, triggering the hearing-aid that doubled as my comms earpiece."Karen," I shouted, "do you copy?"A gasping, flushed voice crackled over the comms. Gunfire I heard in my l
Games of Invictus Special Chapter (YEAR 2042)
In war, your greatest enemy is often yourself. We all begin war pure, fighting for righteousness' sake, but then the ego steps in, the hubris and the greed, and you feel invincible. But eventually you'll wake up and realize that you're not fighting for righteousness' sake anymore, you're not invincible, and that you're a long way from home. Looking back at everything that happened, I would say that this applies to myself, as well. I would be lying if I didn't say I had regrets. It's over now, I suppose. All is said and done. I never wanted to become a War Robot pilot, you know. I never expected it. When the first War Robot was built I was too young to know what I wanted to be when I was older. Before I knew it, the Iron War consumed my freedom to choose my fate. I joined the Chinese-Canadian Alliance on my own free will, sure, but the very fact that this was a choice I felt compelled to make illustrates my point. Every day the Iron War takes. It takes lives, yes, as do all wars, but
Games of Invictus Chapter 124: END (YEAR 2052)
Report: Park Just off the coast of Nova Scotia. Canada. The remains of an Alliance base. Former designation: "The Firmament" Six hours later... Powerful halogen floodlights scanned the ocean surface, making the water shine. The blinding glow traced along the sides of the tower, across the film of oil and over floating debris. The fires that had consumed the Firmament were almost gone, leaving charred metal and burning oil in their wake. The flames provided little to see by-even the moon was hidden by clouds, so the searchlight was necessary. I stood in the cockpit of the dropship, staring down at the water as the vessel scanned the detritus. If something useful was found, the ship's mechanical arm system would target it, snatching it from the oil slick and pulling it inside. It had continued like this for over ten minutes, with little more than scraps discovered. "We have to go, Taewi," the dropship's pilot demanded. Her eyes were wide with worry, and her hands were a tan blu
Games of Invictus Chapter 123 (YEAR 2052)
"Just what the hell do you think you're doing, sacrificing my mech?"A blur of motion swept past the Firmament, snatching the Exodus out of the sky.A dropship."Laura?" I exclaimed. "You came back!""Looks like I got here just in time, too!" Laura replied. "I've got your friend-get the hell out of here! Rendezvous in Shenzhen!""But Mallet-" Alyx began."-can take care of herself!" Laura shot back. "Trust in her, she's your General for a reason! We need to go!""We're out!" Lucas called. The dropship lurched forward.The remaining Zephyrus, distracted by Kedrick's disappearance, didn't see our ship slip by them. We were out of their range in moments.My comms crackled, fading in and out."We're losing close-range radio," Dan informed me."I'll see you guys in China!" Kedrick shouted. He had to fight for his voice to be audible over the encroaching static. "Stay strong!"The comms cut out in a burst of static, and I slumped into a nearby seat.Kedrick was safe, but everything else was
Games of Invictus Chapter 122 (YEAR 2052)
After a moment of catching our breath, Dan, Draco, Alyx and I gathered ourselves and jogged into the cockpit where Lucas sat, fingers dancing across the controls."Strap the hell in!" he bellowed. Everyone scrambled to get to their seats."No!" Lucas glared, gesturing at Draco, "not you. Zip-tie yourself to that seat or you'd better hope you can fly!"Draco frowned, but did as he was told, taking a new pair of the plastic ties from Lucas' outstretched hand and latching himself to a seat.The dropship leapt into the air, soaring away from the battle."We're here to grab you when you need it, Kedrick," Lucas stated.Our forces, sensing this was a losing battle, had begun to retreat. Around us, the Zephyrus swarmed in unison, moving as if at the will of some invisible puppet master. Instead of shooting down the mechs as they were picked up, we watched in horror as they began to fly directly into the path of dropships, bringing them down."The hell?" Draco screamed. "This is suicide! This
Games of Invictus Chapter 121 (YEAR 2052)
The Firmament was built to function at a high altitude, but that didn't necessarily mean that its inhabitants were.The massive tower was well above the height that command capsules could safely travel, as the winds were so strong that they would be blown off course.The second issue was the fact that the entire upper dome of the ship was swarming with Zephyrus.Having breached the glass dome that took up most of the tower's roof, the winged mechs were using the remainder of the surface as a staging ground, gathering up top before descending into the tower to wreak havoc. With the dome gone, the surface area of the Firmament's highest point was about the same as an interior level-a large, circular platform with a gaping hole in its centre.Alyx, Draco and I stood in an emergency airlock on the top level of the Firmament, staring across the open surface of the tower.In its past life as a launch platform, the Firmament's upper deck had been where satellite and weather systems were loca
